I was using my lathe as a horizontal boring machine to make a 3/4” hole. I need it to be about 5” deep, so after I ran the bit in the entire travel of the quill, I added a bit extension. I can no longer get the quill to advance, the threaded center attached to the hand wheel just backs out of the tail stock body. I know I must have done something wrong when I took it apart to change from the live center to the drill chuck, but I don’t know what I did or how to fix it.

Any help or suggestions? Thanks!

-- Tim, Myrtle Beach, DrTim@ONeillChiro.com- Just one more tool, that's all I need! :)

It is a jet lathe, 12-32, that I bought used 3 years ago. It’s the newer white color, not blue like my older Jet bandsaw. There is a set screw that rides in a groove on the outside of the morse taper shaft, and I’ve got that engaged now. I didn’t for a while and I think that’s part of my problem. I got it all back together, and I can make it advance the quill with no pressure against the tail stock, but against resistance it just pushes the threaded shaft that the hand wheel connects to out the back of the tail stock

-- Tim, Myrtle Beach, DrTim@ONeillChiro.com- Just one more tool, that's all I need! :)

Hi Tim. I see that all the time on the lathes at school the kids are using. The lock screw on the tail stock serves two purposes. I lock the quill when you are using a center but the end of it rides in a groove and serves as a key to keep the quill from turning when turning the hand wheel for advancing. You can also turn some lathe too far and the handwheel screws the quill out too far off the thread. In that case you just pull the quill back to engage the thread and it will back out.

There is a set screw near the back that has to be in a groove in the handwheel shaft. That is what holds the handwheel in once you unscrew the quill all the way. Take that out and the handwheel should come out.

Do you have a picture?

-- Jim Jakosh.....Practical Wood Products...........Learn something new every day!! Variety is the Spice of Life!!